2013/02/21

Tiny Moving Parts - This Couch Is Long & Full Of Friendship



01. Dakota
02. Along The Lakeside
03. Grayscale
04. Vacation Bible School
05. Clouds Above My Head
06. I
07. Waterbed
08. Amateur Night
09. II
10. John P

I hadn't been too familiar with this Minnesota three-piece until hearing this release, so I have no opinion to offer on where 'This Couch Is Long & Full Of Friendship' is a step forward or progression from their previous releases, all I can offer is that this thing absolutely rips. Stylistically, the easy thing to say is that they sound like their geographical region, but that would be selling this album short and doing it at least a slight disservice. It's definitely true that modern midwest emo/post-hardcore bands can be heard slightly in these songs, but Tiny Moving Parts blend influences and create something beautiful here. The guitar is noodling and nimble, mixing clean, sometimes discordant chords with technical riffing in a way that more than made up for the lack of a second guitar. The bass follows suit, ducking around the guitar riffs proficiently and knowing when to hold down the foundation with root notes and simple lines. There is power in simplicity, and Tiny Moving Parts, while being technical and interesting, manage to escape the typical emo/math rock trapping of overplaying. The drums here are a definite highlight. I'm not a drummer, so I tend to sound silly attempting to describe drums, but the mix of straight forward beats with quick and precise fills compliments the guitar and bass perfectly. The vocals are just the right amount of off key. They aren’t cringe worthy, but instead come off as passionate and like the singer really means it. It would be easy to compare the vocals to midwestern peers like The Reptilian or La Dispute, but these don't settle easily on either side. In a nutshell, this is an impressive release, and has definitely inspired me to delve further into their catalogue.

Reviewed by Justin.

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